The Burlington City Council appointed three black men to the city’s police commission Monday night, ousting two incumbents from their positions after contentious debate.
Of four open positions on the seven-member commission, the council only returned vice chair Shireen Hart to her seat. Two other incumbents, Peter Bahrenburg and James Dunn, did not win reelection, while a third, Robert Simpson, did not reapply.
Newly appointed to serve three-year terms were black men Jabulani Gamache, a bartender; Yuol Herjok Yuol, a social worker; and Mark Hughes, a community activist.
The sea change comes after recent allegations of police brutality against people of color. Two Burlington police officers were recently sued for excessive use of force against black men, leading activists to call for greater oversight and cultural competency.
The police commission meets once a month and is tasked with reviewing police personnel matters, including officer discipline; citizen complaints; and the department’s social media policy, among other duties.
The council received 10 applications for the four open seats. Hart was unanimously reelected by the council as part of a slate of appointments to a variety of city boards and commissions.
But for the three remaining seats, each councilor was allowed to nominate an applicant. Each person to obtain seven votes, a majority, would land a spot. Mayor Miro Weinberger was allowed to cast a vote along with the 12 councilors.
Councilor Karen Paul (D-Ward 6) nominated Yuol, who received 10 votes, while Councilor Adam Roof (I-Ward 8) nominated Gamache, who earned eight. Councilor Franklin Paulino (D-North District) nominated Bahrenburg, though the council never voted on the incumbent.
The most debated appointment was for the last seat. Councilor Joan Shannon (D-South District) nominated incumbent Dunn, who was just finishing his third year on the commission.
Dunn is a retired lawyer who spent 42 years representing the Burlington Police Department in negotiations with the police union, according to his application for the commission post. Despite that work, Shannon said Dunn isn’t afraid to challenge Burlington Police Chief Brandon del Pozo during commission deliberations.
“While we need new blood, we need some continuity,” she said.
Councilor Brian Pine (P-Ward 3) countered with a nomination for Hughes, the executive director for the nonprofit Justice for All. Pine said he was originally going to vote for Dunn but changed his mind, saying he supports Hughes because he’ll speak up against the racial divide in Burlington.
Council President Kurt Wright (R-Ward 4) chided his fellow councilors, saying that removing incumbents “for no apparent reason” discourages people from even applying for civic service.
“Yes, the police commission needs change, and we’re doing that,” Wright said. “We just added significant diversity [in Gamache and Yuol]. Really significant diversity.”
Councilor Perri Freeman (P-Central District) criticized Wright, saying his language “tokenized” the nonwhite applicants. She then cast her vote for Hughes, who was approved with eight votes compared to five for Dunn.
In his application, Hughes said his military experience equipped him with an understanding of a rigid structure such as that found in a police department. He said his goal is to “restore community trust to the department.”
Gamache, a bartender at Manhattan Pizza & Pub on the corner of Church and Main streets, said he frequently witnesses the challenges of policing in downtown Burlington.
“Lastly,” Gamache wrote, “as a 33-year-old black man, I have an understanding of the cultural and historical dynamics at play between the police and communities of color.”
Yuol’s application was concise: “I want to be the voice of the forgotten community,” he wrote.
Watch the full meeting below; video courtesy of Channel 17:
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Ted Cohen,
Okay, wow. That has to be one of the most un-selfaware, self aggrandizing spiels I have read in a long time. I especially enjoyed how every objection to their pronouncements is simplified, then restated with quotes around it, to include the very language of the law that provided them their bully pulpit in the first place. In a state government report. These two do appear to be a couple of charmers.
Interestingly though the requirements for being on the Burlington Police Commission are in charter, not ordinance, so the City doesn’t establish the requirement to be a legal voter of Burlington but instead the Legislature does. So it will be fun to see how the Council works around Mr. Hughes not being a legal voter of Burlington when he was appointed to the commission.
Thanks for the link.
Patrick Cashman, check out this swan song from Hughes and Longmore…
https://justiceforallvt.org/2018/07/19/123…
Hmm. The more you scratch the stranger this all smells. Turns out the Christine Longmore, who appears to also claim 222 Riverside Ave Apt 12 as her address, was also previously a police commissioner: https://vtdigger.org/2017/02/07/burlington…
Knowyourassumptions?
Your letter was all questions? Do you have an opinion on the article itself? The issue itself? Are you harassing people who comment? I hope not?
How long will there be peace in the police force??? Did any of these new citys police commission have any police training? I mean a bartender, a social worker, a community activist. what are their qualifications for knowing how a policeman should react??? Have they been out on the streets trying to arrest someone who is violent or maybe have a weapon ??? No matter what skin color these men/women police officers, all I can say is “Thank You for your service” !!!
Good decision, Majority of City Council. And thanks to those who stepped up to be nominated.
What discourages people from applying is contentious deliberation, and the practice of reappointing incumbents as if it is their privilege to keep a seat year after year. During the tenure of that commission, police killed fragile people and black people were beat up by police. That commission definitely needed a sea change! Why did it take so long for Council to realize the commission needed racial balance, and what about gender balance? Every board and commission needs this balance, including City Council.
You point out that someone you disagree with owns a $2 million dollar house? Really? That is how you reason? That is how you debate issues? She and her husband own a house that is assessed at $2 million, therefore whatever views she holds about policing are automatically wrong? Have you heard of this concept called logic? So I assume you would also agree that Bernie Sanders is a greedy bastard who couldnt and shouldnt serve on the Police Commission, since he has three residences and a net worth of over 2 million?
Martha,
Great. But what does that mean, exactly?
The police commission is fortunate to have Mark Hughes. He walks his talk and gets things done.
@cwinklem
I also was referring to the city council. How many of the Progs do you consider rich? And as far as not being able to afford child care isn’t that what families do. Each share in the responsibility of child rearing.
It is obvious that your thinking is if you are a person of color (white is a color) you are prejudice.
Last I looked the Police Chief has a lot of bases covered having a Jewish mother and Cuban father. Too bad he isn’t a woman…………………….